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AZ will acquire neoantigen-targeting TCR company Neogene for $200 million upfront

Sotio Biotech

31/1/2023 | 3 minutes to read

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AstraZeneca’s choice to acquire neoantigen-targeting TCR company Neogene fulfills its goal to deepen its commitment to cell therapies via business development.

ACQUISITIONS

AZ reveals its cell therapy ambitions with deal for Neogene Therapeutics

AstraZeneca will pay $200 million upfront to acquire privately held Neogene Therapeutics, which maintains dual headquarters in Santa Monica, and Amsterdam. The deal includes a further $120 million in future payouts, which the companies described as including both contingent milestones and non-contingent payments. Neogene will become an operating subsidiary of AstraZeneca and will maintain a presence in both California and the Netherlands. In May, Neogene said a Dutch regulatory authority had cleared it to proceed with a Phase 1 study of autologous, multispecific therapy NT-125 to treat solid tumors. Neogene is in a subset that is using engineered TCRs to target shared neoantigens. The idea is to create highly selective, potent immunotherapies that target antigens expressed only on tumors.

PARTNERING

Regeneron and CytomX announced collaboration in the field of conditional bispecific therapeutics

Regeneron and CytomX announced a collaboration and licensing agreement to create conditionally-activated investigational bispecific cancer therapies utilizing CytomX's Probody therapeutic platform and Regeneron's Veloci-Bi bispecific antibody development platform. The collaboration is strategically focused on applying CytomX's biologic masking strategies to develop investigational Regeneron bispecifics that remain inactive until activated by proteases in the tumor microenvironment. Regeneron and CytomX will collaborate on the discovery activities to identify and validate conditionally active bispecific antibodies. Regeneron will be responsible for funding preclinical and clinical development and commercialization activities. CytomX will receive an upfront payment of $30 million and will be eligible to receive future target nomination payments and preclinical, clinical, and commercial milestones of up to $2 billion.

BioNTech and Ryvu enter into global collaboration to develop immunemodulatory compounds

The companies announced they have entered into a multi-target research collaboration for several small molecule immunotherapy programs as well as an exclusive license agreement for Ryvu’s STING agonist portfolio as standalone small molecules. The global collaboration will consist of two parts. BioNTech will receive a global, exclusive license to develop and commercialize Ryvu’s STING agonist portfolio as standalone small molecules, including as monotherapy and in therapeutic combinations. In addition, BioNTech and Ryvu will jointly undertake drug discovery and research projects to develop multiple small molecule programs directed at exclusive targets selected by BioNTech, primarily focused on immune modulation within oncology, with potential applications in other disease areas. BioNTech has the option to license global development and commercialization rights to these programs at the development candidate stage. BioNTech will pay Ryvu an upfront fee of €20 million in exchange for certain rights to Ryvu’s STING agonist portfolio as standalone small molecules and for certain rights and options to license multiple small molecule programs as part of a multi-target research collaboration. In addition, BioNTech has committed to make an equity investment of €20 million. BioNTech will fund all discovery, research and development activities, including Ryvu’s discovery and research activities under the multi-target research collaboration. Ryvu will be eligible to receive success-based development, regulatory and commercialization milestone payments, as well as low single-digit royalties.

Exelixis and Sairopa establish collaboration to develop ADU-1805

Exelixis announced that the companies have entered into an exclusive clinical development and option agreement for ADU-1805, a potentially best-in-class monoclonal antibody that targets SIRPα. SIRPα expressed on myeloid cells interacts with CD47 present on the surface of cancer cells and blocks the ability of macrophages to clear tumor cells via phagocytosis and inhibits tumor antigen presentation to T-cells. ADU-1805 is active against all human alleles of SIRPα, which may allow it to address a broader patient population than other SIRPα-directed therapies. Exelixis will make an upfront payment to Sairopa of $40 million and an additional $70 million in near-term milestones for an option to obtain an exclusive, worldwide license to develop and commercialize ADU-1805 and other anti-SIRPα antibodies, and for certain expenses to be incurred by Sairopa in conducting prespecified phase 1 clinical studies of ADU-1805 during the option period. Following the completion of the prespecified clinical studies, Exelixis has the right to exercise its option for an option exercise fee of $225 million.

Overview of transactions in oncology (values in m$)

Source

Partner

Product

Stage

Rights

Value

UF

MS

Point Biopharma

Lantheus Holdings

License to PSMA-targeting radio-therapeutics PNT2002 developed against prostate cancer

Ph 3

Ex-JP,        KR,CN,  SG,ID

1 800

250

1 550

Point Biopharma

Lantheus Holdings

License to radioligand targeting SST receptor PNT2003 tested on neuro-endocrine tumors

Ph 3

Ex-JP,        KR,CN,  SG,ID

315

10

305

Cybrexa

Exelixis

Option to license alphalex exatecan, a peptide-drug conjugate inhibiting TOP1 against solid tumors

Ph 1

WW

703

60

643

Neogene Therapeutics

AstraZeneca

Acquisition of company developing TCR with lead NT-125 autologous multi-specific therapy against solid tumors

IND

NV

320

200

120

Sairopa

Exelixis

Option to license ADU-1805, a SIRPA-targeting antibody against solid tumors

Precl

WW

335

40

295

Focus-X Therapeutics

Full-Life Technologies

Acquisition of company with radio-pharmaceuticals with PSMA-targeted compound against prostate cancer

Precl

NV

245

NA

NA

CytomX Therapeutics

Regeneron Pharma

License to biologic masking technology to develop bispecific T cell engagers against cancer

Res

WW

2 030

30

2 000

Ryvu Therapeutics

BioNTech

Option to license immunotherapies against cancer with additional option rights to STING agonist portfolio

Res

WW

NA

42

NA

NASDAQ Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in oncology

Company

Ticker

Lead product

Technology

Stage

Amount m$

Price $

Acrivon Therapeutics

ACRV

ACR-368

Selective inhibitor of the DNA Damage Response checkpoint kinases, CHK1 and CHK2 against ovarian cancer

Phase 1/2

94.375

12.5

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